DETROIT, Mich. -- Coming to the end of one of the most discouraging trips of the season for the Tribe, they needed this.

This was the Tribe's 4-0 victory over the Tigers at Detroit's Comerica Park.

Let's stop right here, and say it one more time.

The Indians beat the Tigers.

Finally.

The game may turn out to be a big deal, or maybe not. But had they lost … Had they returned home on a six-game losing streak … Had they lost their eighth in a row to the Tigers …

"We needed to win today," said Tribe manager Terry Francona, who talked about how "when they (the players) lose, I bleed with them. I won't point fingers at them."

Instead, it was a day to give Danny Salazar two thumbs up.

Taming the Tigers

The rookie took the mound in Detroit where the Tigers were 44-26 and batting .302. They are like the Tribe of the middle 1990s, a lineup of All-Star mashers playing in front of sellout crowds. None of that mattered to the 23-year-old Salazar in only his sixth big league start.

"I don't think about the crowd," said Salazar.

You expect him to say that. You don't expect him to pitch like it.

"Anywhere there is a mound, he (Salazar) seems comfortable," said Francona. "It could be the Majors, it could be Class AAA -- doesn't matter."

Give him six sensational scoreless innings: No walks, six hits, five strikeouts. He threw 54 strikes in 77 pitches. Only once did he even have a 3-ball count on a batter.

Salazar's fastball averaged more than 95 mph, and several were 98 mph. He also kept his changeup diving at the knees, his slider sizzling on the outside corner.

Special performances

"He's got nasty stuff," said Tribe grand slam hero Mike Aviles. "But it's his demeanor. You could see it in his face. He's not fearful. He doesn't care who's in the batter's box."

The Indians ended the season at 4-15 vs. the Tigers, who hit .300 vs. Cleveland pitching this season.

It took something special like the grand slam by Aviles in the top of the ninth.

And it demanded someone special such as Salazar to keep the Tribe at least dreaming about sneaking into the playoffs as a wild card team.

Consider that Salazar was matched against Justin Verlander, a Cy Young Award winner who has Hall of Fame talent. Both pitchers turned the baseball into a white blur…

Whoosh … Whoosh… Whoosh.

The hitters seemed to hear the pitches more than see them. Verlander unleashed seven scoreless innings, 116 pitches. His last four pitches were 97-98-98-99 mph fastballs.

Watching Salazar against the Detroit star made you wonder if the Indians have their own ace in the making.

Not intimidated

This was Salazar's second start of the season against Detroit, and that's significant. Sometimes, a rookie will surprise a good team when he faces them for the first time.

In his first start, Salazar took a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning, picking up two quick outs. Then he gave up a single to Tori Hunter, followed by a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera.

That was his 103rd pitch, the most of his pro career. He had not thrown more than 89 pitches in any game before or since this season.

Salazar was dominating that day. He lit up the radar gun at 100 mph, and had whiffed Cabrera in the MVP's first three at bats.

But this game was even better. OK, Cabrera rested with an injury. But the Tigers minus Cabrera crushed Tribe pitching Saturday for 10 runs.

The point is Detroit knew what was coming from Salazar, but couldn't score a run -- and managed very few confident swings.

Salazar has a 3.00 ERA this season and a 1-2 record. Most impressive is 37 strikeouts and only nine walks in 33 innings. Coming off elbow surgery in 2010, the Indians are guarded with Salazar's pitch count … they want to keep him under 90.

Francona talked about a time when they "take the reigns off" Salazar and allow him to throw more pitches. That should be next year.

But right now, he gave the struggling, wobbly Tribe a reason to stand up to the a team that had been knocking them down all season.

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